Tripping Over Themselves

[brian_campo]

The moment the final note of music faded from the sound system, Brian tugged his earphones off his head and dropped them carelessly on the synthesizer. For once, he was grateful that his band wasn’t popular enough for an encore. On many nights, he had gotten the short end of the stick when one of his band mates ditched after the show and left Brian to pack up their gear. Time to turn the tables. In fact, it was long overdue. “Mads...” He pulled a mic off its stand, swung it by the cord, and sent it sailing in an arc toward the brunette’s personal space.

She caught it. “Watch it!”

“Later, I’m out.”

‘Wait, what--?’

Too late, Brian thought. He shouldered past Seth like a shoplifter making a break for it and hit the ramp at a jog. Thump, thump, thump. He nudged through a throng of other musicians and regulars to creep up behind the petite blonde with the incredible body. He snaked his arms around her waist and raised her off the ground. “Hey, beautiful,” was muffled against her neck, and they were turning, turning, the room going ‘round and ‘round, the lights streaking purple and blue and neon orange. Brian’s shirt was drenched in sweat. He felt as rubbery and loose as a piece of stretched taffy.

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[brian_campo]

The door behind him was gone, which was fitting, because it felt like the ground underneath him was giving way, too. He managed to lift his head and watch Valerie finish, wiping the damp strands of hair away from her temple and cheek. He didn't know if it was the drugs or just the force of orgasm fucking with his eyes, but he saw a pulse bulging in her temple, fast, just as fast as his. His hand stilled between her legs. He flexed his fingers to rid himself of a cramp that had resulted from the angle. Brian was afraid to look down. He carefully pulled the ruined piece of shirt away from her and set it aside on the roof. "You okay?"

He had an inkling now of what he said just before finishing, and he didn't know if she heard it or not, but Brian had a feeling he was going to beat his head into a wall later on for doing it. How many dates had they been on? How long since she'd been his girlfriend?

But it didn't matter, because he felt what he felt, and he knew it for what it was.

He loved her. One day, in a rational person's amount of time, she might feel that way, too. And that was okay.

[valerie_vause]

The last sound of pleasure fell from her lips with breezy laughter, a reaction to how good she felt in that moment, the high that came with release. Valerie turned her face into Brian’s hand and tried to catch her breath. The hand that had been around him carefully tucked him back inside his boxers then gently clasped his wrist as his fingers flexed. A startled little noise was given then she gently slipped his hand out of her panties and kissed him deeply. If they weren’t on a roof she’d have likely curled up against him, nuzzled his skin, breathed him in. Except they were on a roof, and being high didn’t change that.

Reality trickled back slowly along with his words and Valerie felt a restless panic twist inside her gut like a pit full of snakes. Just because she was falling for Brian didn’t mean she expected he’d do the same. It never even entered her mind that if it did happen, it would be quite so quickly, and now that he had she wasn’t sure how she felt. There was so much she had to tell him. Death played a huge role in her calling, it could strike anytime, could he really handle that? To be in love with someone destined to die? To never have a proper chance at a future, a real life?

“Oh yeah, how you holding up?” She teased lightly, though her smile was a little tense as she stood up to check the damage. On the bright side her clothes were surprisingly unscathed by their passion. Fingers fastened her jeans as she took in the beer soaked ground, the shattered glass and the broken, splintered door that lay crookedly at the bottom of the stairs. “When people say they felt the earth move, usually it’s just an expression.” Valerie offered Brian her hand to help him up.

[brian_campo]

Valerie was on her feet faster than Brian wanted her to be. The warmth was gone, and the light that had haloed her hair was now shining in his eyes. He squinted and kept his face from showing his disappointment, as best he could, anyway. Did she always just pop up afterwards, or was it what he said, or something he did? Was she going to find the politest way to retreat, the way he used to do?

“Ah, I’m good,” he said, blowing off that train of thought, because he wasn’t in any condition to think about it clearly. He took her hand and hauled himself onto his feet.

Brian peered into the stairwell while he zipped his fly and buttoned up. That door wasn’t going back up. Looks like they were destined to rack up destruction of property charges.

He combed his hair back. He wanted something, a drink, a hit. He wished he smoked cigarettes.

‘Reach for her.’

Brian put his hand on her lower back and leaned in to kiss her neck.